Before continuing on to South Africa, we treated ourselves to two days in London. For museum rats like us, two days was hardly enough to visit the seat of the British Empire, the origin of countless colonial expeditions, the storehouse of extensive foreign spoils . Knowing we were planning to return, our friend Prit insisted it wasn’t even an appetizer, more like an amuse bouche.
We focused on the two most famous museums. The Victoria and Albert, known as the Nation’s Attic was only a few blocks from our perfectly located hotel in Kensington. It is a labyrinth of popular, ultra-modern, themed galleries (we jumped from Leonard da Vinci’s notebook in the Renaissance gallery to Adam Ant’s pirate costume in the Theatre section) and dusty, florescent-lit storage rooms that seem to go on forever with collections of ironwork, carpets, and statuary that no one seems to have looked at for eons.
The Casts Room was particularly impressive – actual plaster casts of huge monuments, including Trajan’s Column, Michelango’s David and the entire façade of a gothic cathedral. The jewellery exhibit led us on a tour of precious adornments from pre-history to 2010 – all glitter and gold. Elsewhere, lesser known works by Rodin were scattered amongst those by sculptors who influenced him, and those who reacted (positively or negatively) to his work (See Frederic, Lord Leighton's "The Sluggard" below). 
By contrast, the British Museum, updated and capped by an impressive Norman Foster-designed central plinth and roof, is tidy and orderly. With thousands of archaeological artefacts and only two hours, we jogged through Ancient Egyptian, Abyssinian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman displays, pausing to squeeze up against the Rosetta Stone, skim the Elgin Marbles, gaze at a mummy and cower in the shadow of a Babylonian Lion gate.
And between museums we walked by Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and St. Martin’s in the Field, Big Ben and Westminster, St. James’ Park, Buckingham Palace and Clarence House. Did I mention that we only had 2 days?
And the highlight? A simple dinner party, celebrating Manuela’s birthday with
her, Prit and their friends. A chance to get to see where and how they live, meet an odd mix of modern Londoners (Swiss, French and Malaysian?) and enjoy some really good (Lebanese) food.
An amuse bouche indeed. Looking forward to the main course
We focused on the two most famous museums. The Victoria and Albert, known as the Nation’s Attic was only a few blocks from our perfectly located hotel in Kensington. It is a labyrinth of popular, ultra-modern, themed galleries (we jumped from Leonard da Vinci’s notebook in the Renaissance gallery to Adam Ant’s pirate costume in the Theatre section) and dusty, florescent-lit storage rooms that seem to go on forever with collections of ironwork, carpets, and statuary that no one seems to have looked at for eons.
The Casts Room was particularly impressive – actual plaster casts of huge monuments, including Trajan’s Column, Michelango’s David and the entire façade of a gothic cathedral. The jewellery exhibit led us on a tour of precious adornments from pre-history to 2010 – all glitter and gold. Elsewhere, lesser known works by Rodin were scattered amongst those by sculptors who influenced him, and those who reacted (positively or negatively) to his work (See Frederic, Lord Leighton's "The Sluggard" below). 
By contrast, the British Museum, updated and capped by an impressive Norman Foster-designed central plinth and roof, is tidy and orderly. With thousands of archaeological artefacts and only two hours, we jogged through Ancient Egyptian, Abyssinian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman displays, pausing to squeeze up against the Rosetta Stone, skim the Elgin Marbles, gaze at a mummy and cower in the shadow of a Babylonian Lion gate.
And between museums we walked by Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and St. Martin’s in the Field, Big Ben and Westminster, St. James’ Park, Buckingham Palace and Clarence House. Did I mention that we only had 2 days?And the highlight? A simple dinner party, celebrating Manuela’s birthday with
her, Prit and their friends. A chance to get to see where and how they live, meet an odd mix of modern Londoners (Swiss, French and Malaysian?) and enjoy some really good (Lebanese) food.An amuse bouche indeed. Looking forward to the main course
